Teams will have interest, but will the Brewers bite?
The Milwaukee Brewers put together an impressive run this season, winning 97 games during the regular season and having the best record in Major League Baseball.
After losing the NLCS to the Los Angeles Dodgers, there were plenty of trade rumors surrounding right-hander Freddy Peralta. Those rumors became more prominent after Brandon Woodruff accepted the qualifying offer.
A lot of players may be traded this winter, and the Brewers could get a lot for Peralta if they do ship him off. Jeff Passan of ESPN listed him as one of the top 50 trade candidates this offseason, but also provided a blunt reality check on the situation for those still speculating.
Insider Throws Cold Water On Freddy Peralta Trade Rumors
“Though many expected a Peralta trade soon after Brandon Woodruff accepted the qualifying offer, the Brewers aren’t approaching the winter focused on dealing their top starter. If they get blown away by an offer, they won’t hesitate, but for now, the plan is to enter the year with Woodruff, Peralta, Jacob Misiorowski and Quinn Priester anchoring their rotation,” Passan wrote.
Peralta had perhaps the best season of his career in 2025, going 17-6 with a 2.70 ERA in 33 starts while also posting a 5.5 WAR and striking out 204 batters in 176 ⅔ innings of work.
Because of this, if the Brewers were to trade him, they would likely get a lot in return, even with Peralta entering the final year of his contract. His contract status is the sole reason there have been rumors in the first place.
The Brewers have done this before with Corbin Burnes and Devin Williams, but with Burnes they still had Peralta to lead the rotation, and with Williams they could easily turn to Trevor Megill.
Even with Woodruff back, it ultimately doesn’t make sense to trade Peralta unless they are blown away by an offer, as without him, their rotation would take a major hit in 2026. That could put their status as defending NL Central champions in question as spring training approaches.
But once again, Brewers fans can breathe a sigh of relief. It appears that Peralta isn’t going anywhere. They hope to contend, and having Peralta leading the rotation makes that goal much easier to attain.
